Electric-lighting device



y 3 1929- I R. ECKSTEIN ET AL 1,722,737

ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICIS Filed Sept. 1, 1928 I4 b 1 a lFel/be/v fc/rs fe/h and/Va)! Pol/(r INVENTORS BY 6M ATTORN EY Patented July 30, 1929.

REUBEN ECKSTEIN AND M POLIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING DEVICE.

Application filed September This invention relates to portable electric lighting devices for decorative and display illumination and is particularly adapted for use in constructing Christmas tree lighting outfits having aplurality of lamp sockets or receptacle outlets connected in series circuit.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved lighting device of the character described which shall form a complete unit capable of being used either alone or being readily interconnected for operation with similar devices by persons mechanically or electrically unskilled, which shall be simple in construction, relatively cheap to manufac- 1B ture, and practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide in Christmas tree lighting outfits, a fitting of novel construction which shall serve as a combined lamp socket or receptacle outlet and plug tap outlet, and which shall be readily installed to replace one of a plurality as series connected lamp receptacle outlets so as to provide easy means for interconnecting several lighting outfits to a single power source.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. l is a front elevational view, shown partly diagrammatic, of a Christmas tree lighting outfit constructed to embody the invention.

- Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken through the improved combination l iamp receptacle outlet and plug tap outlet ttin Fig s. 3 and 4 are the top and bottom plan views, res ectively, of the insulating body portion 0 the improved fitting showing in Fig. 2 with the current carrying parts removed therefrom;

Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 55 and 6-6 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of at Christ- 1, 1928. Serial No. 303,500.

mas tree, in outline, partially decorated by one of the improved lighting outfits; and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of the electric circuit in the improved combination lamp receptacle outlet and plug tap outlet fitting.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a portable Christmas tree lighting outfit constructed to embody the invention, which is seen to comprise a plurality, usually eight (8) miniature lamp sockets or outlets connected in series circuit by insulated flexible conductor wires 11. The outfit 10 here shown is constructed with seven (7) lamp sockets or outlets 12 of any standard design and an improved fitting 13 serving as a combined lamp socket or receptacle outlet and plug tap outlet.

The ends of the wires 11 adjacent the fitting 13 terminates with a cap plug 34 of anyconvent-ional construction for attaching the outfit to a suitable electric power supply (not shown) in the well understood manner.

A dominant feature of the invention resides in the incorporation of said fitting whereby said outfit shall form a complete unit capable of being used alone or readily interconnected with similar lighting outfits for operation from a single power supply source. As shown inFigs- 2 to 6, inclusive, the fitting 13 may comprise a suitable molded insulating casing 14 having a chamber 15 extending in from an open end 14 thereof, said casing being formed with a closed end 14' at the bottom end of the chamber. Snugly fitted into the chamber 15 there is a metallic screw contact shell member 16 which is adapted to receive the base of a miniature lamp, indicated at L in dotted lines. See Fig. 2.

The shell member 16 at its inner end is formed with an inturned flange 16 which carries the center contact member 17 of the socket insulated from the shell member 16 by the disc washer 30. The portion of the fitting 13 thus far described forms the lamp socket or receptacle outlet for joining in series with the other sockets or receptacle outlets 12. I

The casing 14 at the bottom end of the chamber 15 has formed therein a pair of spaced passages 18 having openings 18 com municating withthe exterior through the mid-portion of the closed casing end 14 and another pair of spaced passages 19 having openings 19 extending to the periphery of the closed casing end 14", said pair of passages 18 being positioned in cross relation with respect to the pair of passages 19.

A pair of current carrying spring terminal connectors 20, 21 are housed within the passages 18 and are adapted to connect with the terminal blades 22 of a plug cap 23 of another lighting outfit when said blades are inserted in the openings 18 as shown in Fig. 2. The terminal connector 2 0 may be soldered as at 24 or otherwise electrically connected to the shell contact member. 16, while the other terminal connector 21 is preferably secured against the closed casing end 1 1 by suitable means such as eyelet anchor 25. An insulating washer 31 may be provided between the live current carrying parts of the socket portion and the plug tap outlet portion of the fitting 13 to insure against accidental short circuit.

As seen from Fig. 8, the electric circuit in the fitting 13 has one end of a lead of the conductor wires 11 from the plug cap connected to the shell contact 16 as at 24, the junction of the shell contact member 16 with the terminal contact 20, said conductor wire lead at 26 continuing from the center terminal contact 17 to connect in series circuit with the other lamp sockets 12. The other lead of the conductor wires 11 connects with the terminal connector 21 as at 27 and continuesto complete said series circuit. Thus it is seen that the terminal connectors 20, 21

-provide a shunt tap outlet for connecting other outfits in parallel with the outfit 10 from a single power supply source through the plug cap 34.

The passages 19 provide conduits through which the conductor wires 11 pass into and from the casing 14:.

The practical application of the invention will now be apparent. With the lamp sockets 12, fitting 13, conductor wires 11 and cap plug 34. constructed and assembled as shown in the drawing and described above, a single unit 10 is provided. Said unit outfit when fitted with a lamp L in each socket or receptacle outlet may be mounted on a Christmas tree shown in outline at T in any desired position. See Fig. 7. One or more other light ing outfits can be connected in aparallel circuit to the outfit 10 by merely inserting the blade of the plug cap 23 of a second outfit into the opening 18 of the fitting 18 of the first outfit, etc., as is readily understood from Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. Y

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In aportable electric lighting outfit, a fitting comprising an insulating body having current carrying means mounted therein, said means including a lamp receptacle outlet portion carried at oneend of said body and a plug tap outlet portion carried .on the other end of said body, said portions being electrically interconnected to have one common terminal, said body having a passage communicating with said current carrying portions, and feed wires extending through said passage, said receptacle outlet portion being connected in series circuit with said wires and said tap outlet portion being shunted across said wires as and for the purpose described and specified.

2. A fitting for a portable series lighting outfits of the character described comprising a one-piece insulating body enclosing lamp receptacle outlet contacts and plug tap outlet contacts said body having a passage adjacent the tap outlet adapted to receive a pair of feed wires, and current carrying means for connecting the receptacle outlet contacts in series circuit with respect to said wires and for joining said tap outlet contacts in parallel circuit with said wires.

3. An electrical fitting of the character described comprising an insulating tubular body closed at one end, current carrying portions fitted into said body, said portions including lamp receptacle and plug tap outlet contacts, said closed. end of the body having spaced openings communicating with said tap outlet contacts, and having other open ings adapted to receive feed wires for the fitting.

4. An electric fitting of the character dcscribed comprising an insulating tubular body, current carrying portions fitted into said body, said portions including lamp re ceptacle and plug tap outlet contacts, said bod having spaced pairs of passages cstenc ing through a closed end thereot, said plug tap outlet contacts housed in one pair of said passages. another pair of said pas sages communicating with said portions adapted to receive feed wires for the fitting.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

REUBEN ECKSTEIN. MAX POLIS.

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